Commuters across the nation’s capital are bracing for what could be a disastrous ride to work after officials aounced Tuesday the entire Metro subway system will shut down for a full day after a fire in one of the rail line’s tuels.
The system will be shut down all day Wednesday for an emergency inspection of its third rail power cables, General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld told a news conference at the agency's headquarters.
"While the risk to the public is very low, I caot rule out a potential life safety issue here, and that is why we must take this action immediately," Wiedefeld said.
Metro is the nation's second-busiest transit network, serving more than 700,000 riders daily, and a vital link for federal workers and other commuters to Washington from Maryland and Virginia. The system will shut down at midnight Tuesday and remain closed until 5 a.m. Thursday, a total of 29 hours.
Commuters are already dreading a day without their Metro.
Justice Department inte Atlee Ahe told the Associated Press the system is used by virtually everyone to get to their jobs. When Metro is shut down, she said the whole city shuts down.
Ahe rides Metro from her home in Bethesda, Maryland. She said she did not see how it would be possible for her to get to the office. She was hoping the federal govement would grant unscheduled leave or telework, as two congressmen have suggested.
Brian Kirchner, 46, a federal contractor, said he was delayed by two hours getting home to Hagerstown, Maryland, on Monday because of the fire. He commutes by car, bus and Metro to his job downtown.
"I guess I won't be coming to work tomorrow," Kirchner said.
The U.S. Office of Persoel Management said that federal govement offices will remain open Wednesday, despite the shutdown of the subway system. Govement workers however do have the option for unscheduled leave or telework.
Washington's public schools will remain open Wednesday, despite Metro's shuttering for an inspection.
In a statement, District of Columbia Public Schools said it is working with Metro to add additional bus service.
Because of the mass-transit shutdown, school division spokeswoman Michelle Leer said students who are late or absent will be excused because of the difficulty some parents will face getting their children to class.
Leer said the D.C. schools have 48,589 students.
Metro's closure is likely to be a boon for taxi and ridesharing companies.
Roy Spooner, the general manager of Yellow Cab of D.C., said he's calling in extra staff to help take phone calls and sent word to his drivers to get ready for Wednesday.
D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, the chairman of Metro's board, said that while the system had previously been closed for days for weather, including earlier this year, it was believed to be the first time the system had shut down for mechanical reasons.
A fire on the tracks led to major delays throughout the system on Monday, Fox 5 DC reported.
The fire was caused by the same kind of electrical component that malfunctioned last year and caused a train to fill with smoke inside a downtown Washington tuel, killing one passenger and sickening dozens.
During the shutdown, Wiedefeld said that about 600 so-called jumper cables will be inspected throughout the system. Wiedefeld said those cables were inspected after the L'Enfant Plaza fire and deficient ones replaced.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.